DEALS

Lightning strike at Sand Key sends Tampa man to hospital

A lifeguard with Pinellas County Parks talks to emergency workers after the lightning strike at Sand Key Park. The lifeguard reported feeling a tingling sensation but required no medical treatment. CLEARWATER PUBLIC SAFETY

Clearwater rescue workers and police were called to the park shortly after 11:30 a.m., city spokesman Rob Shaw said.

Sepulveda was on the beach near a lifeguard stand when the lightning struck nearby, Shaw said. A Pinellas County Parks lifeguard was nearby and assisted Sepulveda before paramedics arrived.

The lifeguard complained of a tingling in his arm but was not transported to a hospital, Shaw said.

About the same time, a lightning strike started a small brush fire in another area of the park, Shaw said. A small clump of palm trees and a grassy area were burned. Firefighters extinguished the fire in a few minutes.

It was not raining in the area when the bolts struck.

“Beachgoers and others participating in outdoor activities need to keep a wary eye on the sky at all times because lightning can stretch out several miles from the actual storm clouds,” Shaw said in a news release.